A venipuncture for intravenous treatment can be made in many areas of the human body, such as the forearm, upper arm, leg, hand and so forth. Typically, an IV is inserted into a vein by using a hollow needle which is then withdrawn to avoid damage to the walls of the punctured vein. The IV or needle remains in the vein of the patient and is connected to a source of infusion liquid. It is then necessary to stabilize the IV to prevent movement which may work loose and create a potential source of infection or irritation to the patient at the point of insertion. This stabilization is generally accomplished by taping the IV and associated tube fittings directly to the patient's skin.
Although it is important to obtain secure stabilization of the inserted IV or needle, use of adhesive tape is not always desirable. For example, repeated application and removal of adhesive tape from the skin of a long-term patient and/or elderly patient may damage the skin of the patient and be quite painful. The use of such adhesive tapes is also quite time-consuming, requiring that strips of adhesive tape or similar materials be individually cut and trimmed to fasten the IV directly to the skin of a patient.
Therefore, a need exists for an IV stabilizing device which may be readily attached to or detached from the patient without the use of adhesives.